Had he been asked a few weeks ago, The Athletic’s Jayson Stark wouldn’t have predicted the Orioles would make a big trade for a starting pitcher ahead of the July 30 trade deadline. It’s not generally how GM Mike Elias does business.
But after Baltimore lost Kyle Bradish, John Means and Tyler Wells to Tommy John surgery in a three-week span, the calculus may have changed, opening up the possibility for a big-time acquisition for the rotation.
“That is the question right now,” Starks said on Glenn Clark Radio June 21.
“The window to win a World Series opens now,” he added. “Do they need another starting pitcher to do that? I think they probably do.”
One name that has come up in trade talks surrounding the Orioles is right-hander Erick Fedde of the Chicago White Sox. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound right-hander has put forth a resurgent year of sorts, sporting a career-best 3.23 ERA in 17 starts for the struggling White Sox.
Fedde, 31, turned in a 5.41 ERA across six disappointing seasons with the Nationals (102 games and 88 starts) before pitching in Korea in 2023. After winning the MVP award in the KBO, he has found his groove in the major leagues.
While Fedde is doubtful to be a major difference-maker for the Orioles, he could prove to be a substantial depth piece available at a reasonable price.
“He’s really been a shining light,” Stark said. “He’s not a top-of-the-rotation starter, but could he start a playoff game, Game 3 or Game 4? I think he could be that.”
Other pitchers who have come up in the rumor mill are fellow White Sox starter Garrett Crochet and Miami’s Jesús Luzardo. The latter was just placed on the 60-day injured list with a back ailment and won’t return until after the deadline.
Crochet, 25, is a more electric arm than Fedde but would command way more in terms of an asking price as one of the hottest names on the market. The 6-foot-6, 245-pound lefty is having a career year, pitching to a 3.02 ERA and 12.5 strikeouts per nine innings.
In terms of internal development, one arm Baltimore could turn to is rookie left-hander Cade Povich. The 6-foot-3, 185-pounder was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the third round of the 2021 draft and dealt to the Orioles a year later. He has turned in a 4.05 ERA in his first five major league starts.
While Stark sees a path to Povich contributing to a deep playoff run this season, it’s always tough for rookies to truly be relied on their first go-around.
“It’s really early to try to assess what Cade Povich is going to be,” he said. “There’s no disputing that the stuff is crazy good. The swing-and-miss [stuff] is undeniable. But baseball is hard, the big leagues are hard. It’s going to be really fascinating to see what he does over the next few weeks.”
Stark also raised some concerns about the Orioles’ bullpen. Veteran closer Craig Kimbrel has turned in a solid season, but the right-hander has blown four saves already and doesn’t have the greatest recent playoff track record. Across his 13-series playoff career, he owns a 4.50 ERA.
Stark has questions about Kimbrel’s viability in high-leverage situations come October.
“I think we all have in our memory banks what Craig Kimbrel used to be,” Stark said. “And when he has these stretches where he’s really good, if he pitches for your team, you try to convince yourself he’s found that again. And that’s not true. He’s not that guy anymore.”
“The big innings can steamroll on that guy with one at-bat,” Stark continued. “I still think he’s a valuable member of any bullpen, but when you think about some of the great closers who have gone out there in October, is he still that? It feels like in his whole career he’s never quite been that in October.”
For more from Stark, listen to the full interview here: